gospel

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In choosing a word for the Greek that is typically translated as “gospel” in English, a number of languages construct a phrase meaning “good news,” “joyful report” or “happiness-bringing words.” In some instances such a phrase may be slightly expanded in order to convey the proper meaning, e.g. “new good word” (Tzotzil), or it may involve some special local usage:

  • “good story” (Navajo (Dinė))
  • “joyful telling” (Tausug)
  • “joyful message” (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • cohuen ñoñets or “message of God” (Shilluk) (source: Nida 1964, p. 237)
  • “good news” (Yanesha’) (source: Martha Duff in Holzhausen 1991, p. 11)
  • “voice of good spirit” (San Blas Kuna) (source: Claudio and Marvel Iglesias in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 85ff. )
  • suviśēṣattinṟe (0സുവിശേഷം) or “good narrative” (Malayalam)
  • susmachar (ସୁସମାଚାର) or “good matter” (Odia)
  • suvārteya (ಸುವಾರ್ತೆಯ) or “good word” (Kannada) (source for this and two above: Y.D. Tiwari in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 132ff. )
  • the German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) translates as “all-transformative good news” (alles verändernde gute Botschaft), also “good news”
Vitaly Voinov tells this story about the translation into Rutul (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight):

“In Rutul, it was only during the most recent consultant checking session that I realized that the Rutul word for Gospel – Incir (from Arabic إنجيل — Injil) — sounds and looks exactly like the word that means ‘fig’ in Rutul. This is a case of homonymy, in which two completely non-related words from differing historical sources have come to sound exactly alike. Most Rutul speakers know that incir means ‘fig’ because they grow this fruit in their yard or buy it at the market every week. However, because the religious sphere of discourse was heavily disparaged during the Soviet era, most people simply never encountered Incir with the meaning of ‘Gospel.’ This meaning of the word, which Rutuls of the pre-Soviet era knew from the Koran, simply fell into disuse and never had much reason for returning into contemporary Rutul since there is no Christian church established among the people. So if the translator continues to use the term Incir as the rendering for ‘Gospel,’ he runs the risk that most readers will, at best, read the word with a smile because they know that it also means ‘fig,’ and, at worst, will completely misunderstand the word. The seemingly ‘easy’ solution in this case is for the translator to use a Rutul neologism meaning ‘Joyful Message’ or ‘Good News,’ [see above] instead of Incir; but in fact it is not all that easy to make this change if the translator himself insists on using the historical word because at least some Rutuls still understand it as meaning ‘Gospel.’ This is a situation in which the translation team has to gradually grow into the understanding that a fully intelligible translation of Scripture is preferable to one that maintains old words at the cost of alienating much of the readership.”

For “good news,” see also Isaiah 52:7.

brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”

See also brothers.

complete verse (1 Corinthians 15:1)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 15:1:

  • Uma: “Continuing on, relatives, I want to remind you of the contents of the Good News that I delivered to you. You have received that Good News and your faith is strong to the present time.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, my brothers, I want to remind you again of the good news about Isa Almasi that I formerly proclaimed to you. You believed-obeyed this and your trust in Isa Almasi is steadfast because of this.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And now, my brothers in the faith, I will teach you again about the Good News which I taught to you long ago, and you believed, and you took it to heart.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Now my brothers, I will remind you what I preached to you previously which is the good news. That’s what you believed previously and that also is what your faith is-based-on now.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well now I am testifying to you again, my siblings in believing, this Good News that I taught you in the past, that you acknowledged-as-true and firmly-fixed- your belief -to.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now my brothers, I want that you do not forget the good news I have told you. This word is what you looked well upon and it makes your faith firm.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 15:1

Paul is now listing various ways in which readers are related to the gospel: (1) they had it preached to them, (2) they received it, (3) they stand firm in it, and (4) they are or will be saved by it (verse 2). Only in verse 3 does Paul state that he himself, like his readers, received the gospel from someone else.

Now is a legitimate addition in English to prepare the reader for the introduction of a completely new theme. One may also express this as “At this point….”

Brethren makes it clear that a new section is beginning. As in other places in this letter, brethren means “fellow Christians.”

In what terms makes the English sentence hard to understand. Good News Bible‘s “I want to remind you … of the Good News which I preached to you,” reflects the meaning quite accurately.

Preached: translators should remember that the content of this first Christian preaching by Paul was the story of Christ’s death and resurrection. Words that imply only moral exhortation should be avoided.

Gospel: see comments on 4.15.

Received is the same word, used in the same sense, as in 11.23. The word itself is quite common and general in meaning, but the context shows that Paul means something more active than merely hearing him preach. One may say “took to your hearts.”

Stand: see comments on 10.12.

The clause in which you stand may be restructured: “as a foundation on which your faith can stand firm.” Good News Bible adds “faith” to make it clear that the “standing firm” is figurative. Compare also 7.37 and Rom 11.20.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .